40 years after Nostra Aetate, the far-reaching statement that brought new openness in relationships between the Roman Catholic Church and other religious traditions, the Vatican is exploring the possibility of extending its long-standing Catholic-Jewish dialogue to include Muslims as well.

Addressing a visiting delegation from the American Jewish Committee on March 16, Pope Benedict XVI reaffirmed the Church”s close relationship with Israel as the bearer of salvation history and “that chosen people with whom God entered into a holy covenant.”

He went on to note that Judaism and Christianity share a belief in one creator God, and thus are together called upon “to cooperate with one another for the common good of humanity, serving the cause of justice and peace in the world.”